Cecil John Rhodes made a fortune from diamonds and gold, became prime minister of the Cape, and had a country named after him, but his ambitions were far greater than that. When he was still in his twenties, after a meeting with General Gordon of Khartoum, Rhodes set up a Secret Society with the aim of establishing a new world order. The society, disciplined on Jesuit-style rules, became Rhodes’s lifelong obsession, and after his death it lived on and grew under the leadership of his executor, Lord Alfred Milner. The society played a key role in the governance of Britain during the Great War and the peace terms to end it, and it was linked to appeasement initiatives involving Hitler, the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Simpson before World War II. Echoes of the Secret Society survive in different guises to this day, including the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and the Rhodes Scholarships. In The Secret Society, Robin Brown unpacks this astonishing and largely unknown history. He brings Rhodes, his companions and his successors to life by drawing from diaries and letters, and sheds new light on Rhodes’s homosexuality. Ranging from the diamond mines of Kimberley to the halls of power in Westminster, and peopled with characters such as General Gordon, Leander Starr Jameson, W.T. Stead, Olive Schreiner, the Princess Radziwill, Joséph Chamberlain and David Lloyd George, this book is a page-turner that will make you see the world, both past and present, in a different light.

A highly accessible examination of an international phenomenon

The definitive biography of one of the most controversial figures of the 19th century captures a life that was complex and fascinating, evil and good. Illustrated.

Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853-26 March 1902) was an English-born businessman, mining magnate, and politician who won fame not only for founding the country which became known as Rhodesia, but was also the wealthiest man in the world, sixth Prime Minister of the Cape Colony in South Africa, founder of the diamond company De Beers (which today still controls around 40 percent of the world diamond trade), and British Imperialist of note. This remarkable book details much of Rhodes's life which is often hidden from public view: his racial policies, which were firmly based on segregation; his ardent desire to seek conciliation and peace with the Boers, whom he regarded as of the "same race" as the British, and his support for Irish nationalism under the banner of European unity. Completely reformatted and illustrated.

To be chosen as a Rhodes Scholar is to join the company of a highly select group: former scholars include presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors, archbishops, authors, judges, and other important figures. Over 7,000 individuals have received the world's most prestigious scholarship in the century since Cecil John Rhodes, the British-born founder of the De Beers diamond company, established through his will the Rhodes Trust and Rhodes scholarships. This fascinating history traces the evolution of the Trust and its scholarship program from Rhodes's vision in 1902 to the new world of the twenty-first century. Rhodes specified the criteria for selecting scholars, stipulating public service as their highest aim. An avowed imperialist, he dreamed of a white masculine Anglo-Saxon hegemony that would lead to world peace and prosperity. The book explores how the organization changed after the Empire faded and how Rhodes's vision has been made relevant today, particularly through the vital contributions of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation in South Africa. Prominent American Rhodes Scholars include: J. William Fulbright - Robert Penn Warren - Bill Bradley - Wesley Clark - Bill Clinton - Strobe Talbott - David Souter - George Stephanopoulos